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10 September 2010
International Optics Students to Gather in Tucson for IONS-NA-2
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Lyndsay Meyer
The Optical Society
+1.202.416.1435
lmeyer@osa.org
International Optics Students to Gather in Tucson for IONS-NA-2
WASHINGTON, September 10 – The North American chapter of the International OSA Network of Students (IONS) will be hosting IONS-NA-2 in Tucson, Arizona, USA, from September 30 to October 2 at the University of Arizona campus. IONS-NA-2 features technical and professional development programming for students in the field of optics and photonics and has been organized by OSA student chapter members at the University of Arizona. Arizona is home to a large cluster of photonics companies making it an ideal location to host this student event. The Optical Society (OSA) is a co-sponsor of the event, which will welcome more than 100 young scientists from around the world.
Highlights of IONS-NA-2 include:
- Scientific sessions featuring keynote speakers Joseph Shaw of Montana State University on “Optics in Nature,” Charles Falco of the University of Arizona on "The Science of Optics: The History of Art” and CIAN sponsored speaker Dr. Ekaterina Golovchenko presenting "Technologies and Challenges in Fiber Optic Communication Systems." The scientific session will also feature student technical talks and poster sessions as well as an award for the best presentation.
- A professional development session with Peter Fiske, president and CEO of PAX Scientific, on "Putting Your Science to Work.”
- Lab tours at the University of Arizona College of Optics and the Steward Observatory Mirror Lab, networking and social events and excursions to Tucson landmarks.
IONS was first created in 2006 during OSA’s Annual Meeting, Frontiers in Optics (FiO), by several OSA student chapters that wanted to bring together young scientists from around the world and facilitate active discussions about their research in optics and photonics. All IONS meetings are independently managed by OSA student chapters. Thus far, 12 IONS meetings have been held around the world since 2006.
“The IONS organizers are dedicated to providing unique opportunities for young researchers from around the world, focusing not only on scientific discussion but personal and professional development as well,” said OSA President James Wyant. “Their talent and hard work will lead to greater international collaboration in optics and photonics among young scientists. OSA is proud to be a sponsor of IONS-NA-2 and looks forward to continuing to support these events in the future.”
In total, there will be five IONS meetings held in 2010 including March’s meeting in Ireland and June’s meeting in Russia. The next IONS meetings will be held in Recife, Brazil and Dunedin, New Zealand. IONS meetings take place each year in Europe, North America, South America and Asia/Australia. More information about IONS-NA-2 and other IONS events are available at http://ions-project.org.
About OSA
Uniting more than 106,000 professionals from 134 countries, the Optical Society (OSA) brings together the global optics community through its programs and initiatives. Since 1916 OSA has worked to advance the common interests of the field, providing educational resources to the scientists, engineers and business leaders who work in the field by promoting the science of light and the advanced technologies made possible by optics and photonics. OSA publications, events, technical groups and programs foster optics knowledge and scientific collaboration among all those with an interest in optics and photonics. For more information, visit www.osa.org.
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